Afghan deputy foreign minister in India

India and Afghanistan Tuesday held Foreign Office consultations and discussed issues of mutual interest as Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Ershad Ahmadi arrived here.

Ahmadi met Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and held discussions about events related to Afghanistan that will take place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, official sources said.

Ahmadi also called on External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

The Afghan minister's visit comes weeks after he met the Indian foreign secretary during her visit to Afghanistan Aug 23-25.

Singh had travelled to India's Consulate General in Jalalabad that was recently targeted in a suicide attack, in a clear message that such acts of terror would not impact India's determination to assist development efforts in Afghanistan.

The visit comes as nominations have opened for Afghanistan's presidential elections next year.